The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-04
THE LOBBY Is DEAD.
A FORMER WASHINGTON NsTITU.
TON WHICH HAS VANISHED.
What the Third House" Was in the
Days of It's Prime-How the Great
Pacific Mail Subsidy Was Obtained
Richard Twins Way of Doing
Things.

Washington Correspondence of the Brooklyn Cit.
zen,
There is no longer any congressional
lobby. True, there are those who hang
about Legislative halls, but to compare such
TO the diplomatcs of other days who
figured in deals of magnitude for rewards
colossal is likening the sun in its fullest
glory TO its period when under the obscura-
ton of eclipse.
Twenty years ago the lobby was in its
full feather. Ten years later on it began
to degenerate What now is left OF il has
for its purpose more OF back-mail and
brgandagc than its ability to promote and
conceive legislation which would yield
profit. The ruling spirits who in the hey
day affected congressional action seldom
visited the capitol Then it was that the
agency Of the lobby was sought by those
whose votes affected results The lob
byist then was established in house of
his own, well furnished, well provided,
and within his own castle he made his
deals. The transition in wears is marked.
The so-callcd lobbyist of today hangs ON
the very verge of the doors of legislation
lie assumes to control the action OF men
To whom passing recognition is not even
accorded, The business OF the lobbyist OF
today deals with claims, and woe To the
unlucky claimant who falls into their
clutches.
The big money was spent in the lobby
when the Pacific railroad legislation was
under way. These enterprises involved
the disposal of millions OF acres of the
public lands. Moreover, they committed
the government, in pccunary sense, 10
become the indoncr of the bonds Of the
corporations which built the roads. There
was, indeed sugar for contingent aid,
and the men now advanced ON the path.
way to fortune got their start when votes
were valuable and when the belief
existed that every man had his price.
Ont Of the building Of the Pacific roads
grew the famous Credit Mobilicr, an or.
ganiLaiion created within n charmed circle
10 further plumber through the conslruc-
ton Of the enterprises. But for the quar-
rel with McComb, who gave the scheme
away no one can tell how much ol STOCK
and money might have been absorbed bv
those who had voted away millions upon
The shrcwdcst lobbyist OF the older DAYS
was Richard Il. Irwin. lie WIS man ol
! quite fragile build, with dwaricd features.
nervous organization and heroic industry.
| When the war closed lac was an obscure
| clerk in the war department. His cont
handing characteristic WAS silence. Drift
| ing over TO New York. he entered the en-
| plOy Of the Pacific Mail steamship com
pany. At the time Adm Stockwcll WIS
| its president. The steamship company
was an auxiliary oi tho Pacific railroad
companies. The latter having alraly
! been graciouSly aided by Congress in the
way Of subsidy, the steamship company
concluded to make descent for spuils.
| Under the guisc Of aid In carrying the
| United States mail a scheme was hltchcd
10 demand OF Congress a grituity ui
5000, 900 a year, to extend the period to
ten years TO Irwin was inirustCd the
details When leaving New York stock
well, the president, said:
Irwin, how do YOU propose to manage
this?'
"In my own way" said Irwin. ~
want, however, SIJD,OOO placed Ia my
credit. II il is | will gct the subsidy .
Seven hundred aud fifty thousand dol
las added Siockwcll, us good deal Of
money"
go il thirty million good deal moro.
The expenditure of the smaller sum 10 OBJ
tain the greater is not drop in the
bucket"
II WIS arranged that Irwin should have
! the money. II was likewise expressly
stipulated 10y him that In ease Of success
there was to be- no accounting. With the
money lac was 10 do ~ he pleased. There
were Ia bc no vouchers, no receipts, no
memoranda.
Irwin came 10 Washington and csiab
lishcd himself in u sumptuously furnished
| house This residence he stocked with
crralurccomiort which u rpyal mlcrmisht
have cuvicd. Herr be- gave dinners and
met his friends lie ucvcr visited The
capitol himself All NJ lis nfurc ruHiilrn-
tial maiiCn, which nccyssilntrd personal
presence at the capitol VEN inirIstcd to
| Col. Albert, who held relations tu Irwin ~
a private secretary During the gr,utcr
part Of the winter the lnlchslring Of hi-
house was open only tO those Who were In
yitcd Ia invade il. hut its walls often rev
clcd with mirth aud hinrily. Irwin, Ia
his manipulation Ia srcmc the subsidy,
buidcd well, for ihc outcome was that the
Congress yuiud II a. the company
For two ycar at lc.si the Pacific Nail
company cnjoycd the subsidy, and miylri
have had III bcncfcrncc for many NOR.
4 quarrel 81 sonc kind, however arusc,
and ugly rumor got aiiuil. The cnl wus
that Congress ordered an Investigation.
The duty was assigned b. the ways and
means committee, of which Congr gnin
Dawes, IT Massachusetts, now senator, was
chairman.
In a. the time Irwin was summoned na
a witness the investigation had develop u
no sensation. The fact had developed
that Stockwcll, the president m the com.
pany, was In Europe, and could not bc
reached by the speakers summons Tho
coming Of Irwin, however, added iinyOi
Of intense interest 10 the inquiry. When
he Appeared before the committee he va.
iaultlcsly dressed and thoroughly pos.
scsscd. 80 iar M his own connection viii
the subsidy wis concerned, lac was q will
ing witness. When, however, others wcrC
involved lac was rrcalcitant. lie freely
said that lac had had placed at his dis
posal $3.50, 900, with which a. secure the
subsidy. that lac had secured u, but fur
Their he would not 90. Pressed 10 tell "a
whom lac had paid the money, lie de
clncd. by direction Of the committee h,
was arranged nj the bar Of the House NJ
Representatives ~ rcusant witness
: and. still declined 10 diyulge; the llous,
! ordered him 20 be committed 10 the CON
: mon iail in contempt Of the authority nm
{ III such time M he might see III Ia purg,
} himself. Irwin was committed In con
tempt, and occupied quarters IN one %
the officers rooms ON the ground ilOOr.
Meanwhile the private secretary, Col
Albert, wassummOned The fact lad ccWC
out In the inquiry that lac had "
memorandum Of those 10 WHOM J.
, paid money, rs = protection . 10